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Oct 15, 2014

Kickstarter: SNAP! 6 Makes iPhone Photography Easier

I already own several lenses for my iPhone 5s, but nothing currently works with my iPhone 6. After reading about The SNAP! 6, at iPhone Photography School, I decided to have a look at the SNAP! 6 Kickstarter campaign. I was impressed by the idea of a case with a dedicated shutter button that also includes lenses, so I backed the project at the highest level, $140 - in December I'll be receiving the full package with a SNAP! 6 case, Leather Strap, Wide Angle Lens + Fisheye Lens and 3x Telephone Lens + Circular Polarizing Lens. For me the leather strap will be a welcome addition. Just this week I was shooting over a bridge and was worried about dropping my iPhone.

I posted on Twitter and Facebook when I backed the project and one of the comments I received was the nature of the shutter button being accessible in the landscape mode only. Although I also shoot in portrait mode mainly, it should be relatively easy to press the button when holding in the portrait position too, but I won't know that until I give it a try.

If you'd like to back the project to get the reduced price (most Kickstarter items have a higher retail price once they are available to the general public), you'll have to pledge before October 29, 2014 at 9:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.

Once I receive my package, I'll be doing a hands-on review, but in the meantime for more information here's the official Press Release.

Press Release:

SNAP! 6 - The Easiest Way To SNAP A SHOT With Your iPhone 6

An iPhone 6 case with an actual shutter button & interchangeable lenses that
make photo-taking easy, fun and professional.

Taipei City, Taiwan – With the launch of the new iPhone 6 photos will look better than ever,
that’s if you hold your phone correctly by using your both hands or risk taking a shaky photo
blocking your lens by using one hand. Inspired by traditional camera, SNAP! 6 allows you
to securely hold your iPhone and take advantage of the uniquely-designed shutter button,
just one press, and it’s done. SNAP! 6 is a complete game changer that makes snapping a
picture with your iPhone easy and smooth. With an actual shutter button and portable,
interchangeable lenses, now you can take photos with your iPhone with ease and at the same
time go creative without sacrificing mobility.

Single-hand control Easy and firm grip with one hand. Now, with SNAP! 6’s shutter
button and anti-slippery grip design, we can hold the phone steadily and simply press
the button to snap a pic without any trouble.

Selfies Made easy

Professional photo-taking: Similar to professional cameras, SNAP! 6 also comes
with interchangeable lenses. By having a macro and wide-angle lenses, you can
now enjoy the benefits of enhanced photo with amazing details, quality and wider
perspective. Your iPhone is transformed into a powerful pro-level camera that is as
intuitive and functional as it is sleek and compact.

Taking perfect selfies and amazing photos has never been so seamless, and taking a case out
of your pocket has never been this satisfying. We came up with the idea of incorporating
an actual shutter button on our SNAP! 6 case. When you hold your phone horizontally, the
shutter button is on the upper right hand corner, just as how you would use the shutter on a
real camera. With our patent pending mechanical design, the shutter button and volume
rocker (-) button is situated within the back of the cover case. So when you press the
shutter button of the SNAP! 6, the volume button will be simultaneously pressed as well
to trigger the camera shutter (a built-in function of the default camera app).

Now you can quickly unlock the phone with a thumb swipe and then use your index finger
to snap a shot with the shutter without your hand being in the way. We are hoping that with
our patent-pending shutter-design case, we can deliver that same kind of feel and experience
when using a real camera to our users. Snap!6 is being offered exclusively on Kickstarter for
$35.

About Bitplay

Founded in 2009, bitplay has a small team of 6 exceptional individuals coming from a
wide range of diverse background, including industrial design, visual communication and
interaction design. With years of solid experience from the industries, bitplay has been
recognized for its innovative design and won a numerous internal awards such as iF Design,
Red Dot Design, Good Design and Golden Pin Design.

Geri's Note: Since SNAP! 6 met their first goal, the creators are also working on a dedicated app SNAP! Pro which will have a traditional camera like interface with ability to adjust shutter speed, white balance, exposure and also include filters, frames along with more features. Goal 2 enabled them to develop the 3x Telephoto and Polarizer lens and if Goal 3 ($80,000) is reached they will be able to make an iPhone 6 Plus case too.

The battery is only slightly better than my 5s - I heard the 6 Plus has a considerably better battery. I do have a battery booster and also a portable charger but so far I haven't had to use them. If I shot the entire day I probably would.